Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-16
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The graph below gives information on the numbers of participants for different activities at one social centre in Melbourne, Australia for the period 2000 to 2020.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
The line graph compares the number of people participating in various activities at a social centre in Melbourne, Australia between 2000 to 2020.
Overall. the film club was the most popular activity among the participants throughout the period. While the popularity of table tennis and musical performance increased over 20 years, the number of participants declined for amateur dramatics.
Film club was the most popular activity throughout the period. Though there was a slight dip at 2010 to 60 but rose again slightly to almost 65. Table tennis became the second most popular sport, with the numbers rising steadily from just around 19 to 20 at 2010. Followed by a drastic increase just over 50 at 2020. The popularity of martial arts remained almost constant at around 35 with slight increase at 2010 to 40. Moreover, there was a sudden surge in number of participants for musical performance from 0 to almost 20 from 2005 to 2020.
On the other hand, during the first 5 years amateur dramatics
started attracting participants but later was suffered a substantial decrease in popularity with the number decreasing from approximately 25 to almost 0.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student successfully reports the main features and trends of the line graph, providing a clear overview in the second paragraph that highlights the film club's dominance alongside the contrasting trends for table tennis, musical performances, and amateur dramatics. Key data points are cited correctly, such as the peak of the film club and the dramatic surge in table tennis participation up to 2020. However, there are minor inaccuracies in reporting specific intermediate figures (e.g., stating table tennis started around 19 or 20 when the graph shows 16). Despite these small errors, all parts of the task are addressed, and comparisons are made where relevant, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by an overview, body paragraphs detailing the specific trends, and a final paragraph for amateur dramatics. Cohesive devices are used to signal shifts and relationships between ideas, such as "Overall," "While," and "On the other hand." However, paragraphing could be structured more cleanly, as the third paragraph is quite dense and combines multiple distinct categories. Referencing is generally clear, though minor mechanical faults in cohesion occur, placing the response solidly in the Band 6.0 to 6.5 range.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a Task 1 response, employing terms such as "participating," "popularity," "constant," and "drastic increase." There are several attempts to use less common vocabulary, but some word choices and collocations are awkward or inaccurate, such as "was suffered a substantial decrease" instead of "suffered a substantial decrease." Spelling is generally accurate, but lexical control fluctuates, meaning communication is occasionally strained by grammatical-lexical interference. This performance reflects the descriptors for Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses introduced by "while" and "though." However, there are notable grammatical errors and awkward phrasings throughout the text. For example, punctuation is misused in the overview ("Overall. the film club..."), and sentence fragments or ungrammatical constructions appear, such as "Though there was a slight dip at 2010 to 60 but rose again" and "amateur dramatics started attracting participants but later was suffered a substantial decrease." These errors occasionally impede comprehension, though the core meaning remains accessible, corresponding to a Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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